The Newest Holiday Tradition: Friendsgiving

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Through the treacherous journey we call college, one of the many things we gain is our beloved friends. As my mom would say, “college is where you make your real best friends for life.” Sometimes these friends turn into “family”.

When that happens, it’s only right that you and your friends start taking part in activities that everyday families do. These activities can include but are not limited to ringing in the new year, watching parades, swapping valentine’s/christmas gifts or hosting fourth of July barbeques.

One that has been on the rise lately is the Friendsgiving tradition.

Friendsgiving is the sharing of a large meal between friends on or before the traditional holiday of Thanksgiving.

In the beginning, it only meant a casual meal. The term Friendsgiving was first used on the internet in 2007.

The dorming community on SUNY Buffalo State campus is large and filled with students from all over the world; some of which can not always make it home for the holidays, due to expenses and/or travel issues.

This is where the phenomenon of Friendsgiving comes in. It stems from college campuses and now it is blossoming into the rest of the world.

College students who stay on campus during the holidays, use this as a way to bring the family love into such a dull and depressed environment.

The setup from Friendsgiving is traditional, yet casual. Typically, the dinner consists of one table filled with dishes for the group to eat.

How the dishes get to the table is where the difference comes in. Friendsgiving partakes usually prefer a potluck setup, which means each guest brings their own dish and that’s how the meal is made. This aspect made sense since this tradition derived from college students. I don’t know about you but I definitely can not afford to make a full Thanksgiving day meal on my own. This way makes sure everyone gets at least one dish they can enjoy. It ensures there is enough food for everyone and it brings different cultures together.

The location for Friendsgiving can sometimes be a huge issue. Dormitories may allow only a certain number of residents in the building or some may not have enough space.

This is where the students who live off campus come in. These students let other students have the friendsgiving dinner in their house. These same students usually don’t have to put food into the potluck since they are already giving up their house for the event.

Some people dislike the idea of Friendsgiving for the simple fact that it is being planned by a group of people rather than one person so it can sometimes be pretty chaotic. Some people might want to make certain dishes, or want to finish cooking at your house, so thekitchn.com created 10 Commandments for Friendsgiving to help get everything in order. They are as followed:

Thou shall have a sign up for dishes- to make sure there aren’t 10 of the same dish.

Thou shalt have a place setting for each guest – Yes, college students fight to sit next to their favorite person.

Thou shall make the turkey – Only you can do it like you do !

Thou shall respect the host – You make the rules and no one can test you.

Thou shall not plan to cook/prep/assemble in the host’s kitchen – Less mess and no one is in your way.

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